Here's what's happening in politics across the UK, Scotland and North-east today.
Scottish Parliament
No scheduled business
UK Government
Today’s business includes:
- Oral Questions to the Home Office (topics covered include discussions with the Scottish Government on immigration policy)
- Second Delegated Legislation Committee Debate on The draft Good Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) (Amendment) Regulations 2022
- Scottish Affairs Committee meeting looking at labour shortages
- Treasury Committee meeting – oral evidence on The UK’s tax burden
- Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee meeting – oral evidence on the Levelling Up White Paper (further details available at: Formal Evidence Session - Committees - UK Parliament)
Aberdeen City Council
A full Council meeting is scheduled from mid-morning. Among the matters under consideration are: Climate Change – Citywide Strategy and Council Carbon Budget; ACC-bp Memorandum of Understanding – Progress Report (Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub); City Centre Masterplan Update; Beach Masterplan Progress Report; and a motion regarding various traffic/public realm works in the City Centre.
Aberdeenshire Council
No scheduled business
News/Funding/Consultations
Consumer Scotland
Consumer Scotland will be the official, independent and expert voice of the consumer in Scotland. The Consumer Scotland Act 2020 gave it the general function of providing consumer advocacy and advice with a view to:
- reducing harm to consumers
- increasing confidence among consumers in Scotland in dealing with businesses that supply goods and services to consumers
- increasing the extent to which consumer matters are taken into account by public authorities in Scotland
- promoting:
- sustainable consumption of natural resources
- other environmentally sustainable practices in relation to the acquisition, use and disposal of goods by consumers in Scotland
- otherwise advancing inclusion, fairness, prosperity and other aspects of wellbeing in Scotland
Consumer Scotland is being established to be in place from April 2022 and, as a Non-Ministerial Office, will be accountable to the Scottish Parliament. The Board Designate is currently developing an Interim Strategic Plan for its first year of operation and welcomes views from interested parties. To find out more, or respond to the consultation, please visit here. The deadline for responses is Friday 4th March.
Pavement Parking
The Scottish Government has been working to improve parking legislation in Scotland in order to tackle the impact of inconsiderate and obstructive parking and ensure that our roads and pavements are accessible for all. As part of this work, The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 bans pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs, and gives local authorities the relevant powers to enforce these new provisions. For further information, or to respond to the consultation please visit here. The deadline for responses is Friday 11th March.
Non-domestic rates: decapitalisation rates for the 2023 revaluation
The next revaluation of non-domestic property in Scotland is due to take effect from 1 April 2023 based on rental values as at 1 April 2022 (the 'tone date'). At revaluation Scottish Assessors review rateable values resulting in a new valuation roll for all non-domestic properties in Scotland.
While most rateable values are based on estimated annual rent, around 9% of subjects, accounting for 22% of total rateable value are derived using the contractor's basis method of valuation. In the contractor's basis method of valuation, the capital value (cost of rebuilding) of a property is estimated, then a decapitalisation rate is applied to give an annual equivalent rateable value.
This consultation paper invites views on the prescription of the decapitalisation rate(s) to be used when non-domestic subjects are valued using the contractor's basis for the next revaluation.
For further information, or to respond to the consultation, please visit here. The deadline for responses is Friday 11th March.